Some forms of circuit test provide an engineer with large volumes of test results. To assist the engineer in managing and referring to these test results, each test result may be associated with a test number. Test numbers aid the engineer in distinguishing one test result from another, and may sometimes assist the engineer in identifying the test that generated the result. Sometimes, an engineer may use test numbers to categorize or group particular test results, such as by assigning “500 series” test numbers to all Leakage tests. Typically, however, such categorized or grouped test numbers have to be assigned manually.
Sometimes, test numbers may be generated automatically, with each new test result being assigned a next sequential test number. However, if the same set of tests is executed multiple times, but certain tests are skipped on some runs because, for example, different test conditions are met, then it is possible that different executions of the same test will result in different test numbers being associated with the test results of that test. In addition, it is sometimes possible that a test control (e.g., a test method, test function or user procedure) will produce a plurality of test results. It is desirable to be able to identify which “subtest” produced which result, since the different results may have been generated under different conditions. However, past test numbering systems have typically assigned the same test number to each of these results, or have assigned different “automatic” test numbers, which have not possessed any implied informational value, and have sometimes skewed the relationships between later generated test results and their test numbers.